The other member
by Laradhel
Summary: Thirteen dwarves, an old wizard and a hobbit who doesn't want to become a burglar. This bunch will have to go to the Misty Mountains to retrieve Erebor from Smaug, the mighty dragon. Will they succeed? No idea. Do they know that someone else will go with them, whether they like it or not? Let's find out...
1. Reunion

**1. Reunion**

**A/N: Hi there! So, this is my first fic in English, but it's not the first one about The Hobbit, so if you want to check out my other fic (which is in Spanish), feel free to read it!**

**First of all, I have to say that English is not my mother language, so if you find any mistake (say, grammatical, spelling and such), just send me a private message and I'll fix it right away! Also, please be nice with me because I'm not used to write a whole story in English.**

**And before we move into the fic, there is another note I have to point out:**

**DISCLAIMER: Both the movie and the book works of The Hobbit belong to Peter Jackson and the marvellous Tolkien.**

_I just don't get it._

She sneezed while wrapping herself in her cloak, hiding her face better under the hood. Fortunately, it wasn't raining. She hated rainy days; so depressing, and cold, and… watery.

_How have I been convinced by an old mage to participate in such ridiculous quest?_

Okay, maybe it was the easiest way to fulfill her mission, her _duty_, but she didn't want to stick along with a bunch of disgusting and noisy dwarves. Why couldn't she go with elves, or maybe some mighty men? Heck, even _orcs_ would be much better. But… Why with _dwarves_?

She sighed once more, walking almost quietly through the grassy path of The Shire, looking for a certain hobbit hole. Her leather boots didn't make noise as she moved as a shadow, quick and silent. She had been walking all the way from her hideout to this green place only to be admitted in a bunch of dwarves; she still couldn't believe it.

She had been so well in her hideout. With wild animals as only company, and surviving with plants and vegetables from her own garden. She had been happy, and alone, but that… _blasted geezer_ with a ridiculous pointed hat came one day and ruined her entire life.

She could have refused to join that nonsense. She could, but her heart and her natural loyalty towards the person that saved her life several years ago made her change her mind.

Suddenly, her keen hearing caught some noises, like rumbling, and knew she was nearby her destination. She observed a pretty hobbit hole, one with a familiar mark on the round green door; there were some ponies grazing nearby, and she couldn't suppress a smile when one of them sniffed the air nervously. She made some noises with her foot on the grass to calm it down, and after a while, the pony continued grazing.

Observing the hobbit's home, she observed that, despite the fact that the garden was a bit small for her liking, it was very well kept. She opened the small door of the entrance to the porch, closed it quietly behind her and advanced one, two, three steps until she reached the door. She almost listened the muffled sounds of conversation behind the wooden door, and could distinguish the mysterious voice of the one who brought her here.

Preparing herself for a possible rejection, she raised her hand and knocked the door three times and recoiled a bit afterwards. She could detect a sudden silence in the house, and guessed that the host didn't expect any more visitors; neither did his "guests", maybe, if the mage didn't tell them anything.

The door opened, and there, stood a hobbit. It was the first time she could see one up so close, and she had to admit that he was strange. A bit taller than herself, maybe for a few centimetres, he had curly brown hair and bright green eyes; his ears were large and pointy, and his nose was a bit upturned. He was cute, she had to admit it.

He froze for a moment, astonished by the presence of a hooded person in front of him. He couldn't see nothing relevant about the person, only that he was a bit shorter than himself; the hood didn't show anything about the face, and was absolutely motionless.

"Ah!", exclaimed a profound voice behind him, startling him, and when he turned around he found the large mage, bending above the door. "You came just in time, my dear".

"Gandalf", growled the stranger, and removed the hood.

The hobbit then saw a petite woman, who seemed a teenager, with pale skin and astounding amber eyes, piercing and inquisitive. Her silver hair was loose, covering her shoulders, and was full of little hair ornaments like feathers and braids. Her smooth and delicate face was perfectly neutral; it was like looking to a statue.

"Excuse me, my dear, you surely had had a long journey", Gandalf smiled almost innocently, and she raised a brow in his direction before turning her brilliant amber eyes to her host.

"Gandalf, do you know her?", the hobbit asked a rather obvious question.

"Oh, my apologies. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to present Arethien".

Arethien made a brief bow, letting a small smile cross her features.

"At your service, mister Baggins", she said. It seemed she had difficulties to speak, almost like she were not accustomed to talk to other people.

"At… at yours, miss Arethien!", he bowed quickly in response. "Please, come in. It sure is cold outside".

"Thanks".

She stepped in and Bilbo closed the door behind her. The hobbit-hole was… warm. Her hideout was cluttered and filthy, but Bilbo's house was tidy, and clean, and full of warmth.

_So this is how a real home looks like_, she thought, almost reflexively.

She could hear then many people breathing. She turned her head and the first thing she saw was a _dwarf_.

Well, she _did_ expected dwarves in the company, since Gandalf told her the nature of the mission and everything. But the dwarf before her was a dwarf with a princely air around him. He had the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen in her life. Clear, full of hidden pain, but also with a fierce determination. His face was serene, but with a hint of mistrust. Did Gandalf tell them anything about her?

_Well, it appears not, judging the look on his face_.

Behind the princely dwarf, there were more of his race. All of them looking at her. She resisted the urge to growl, and merely looked at them with an annoyed look on her face. She did _not _like being stared so intently.

Gandalf caught the tense situation and decided to intervene.

"Arethien, let me introduce you to Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the company. Thorin, this is an old friend of mine, who can be very useful for your journey".

"Are you serious, Gandalf?", Thorin crossed his arms over his arms, obviously displeased at the presence of a woman in his company. "A woman?".

This time, she let her growl emerge from her throat.

"So, I was right after all", her voice had dropped several octaves. "It seems I'm not welcome here".

"Arethien, wait a moment", Gandalf interrupted her. "Thorin, trust me, she is quite skilled and talented...".

"What he is trying to say is that I'm not burden. In fact, I'm wondering if it's not you who will be a burden for me".

"How you dare speak like that…!", a bald, tattooed dwarf stepped in front of her, and he tried to use his slightly superior height to intimidate her, to no avail.

"I do dare, seeing how your _prince _is underestimating my capability and my usefulness inside this company. I didn't cross nearly half Middle Earth to be tossed away like a useless object!".

"Arethien!", Gandalf roared, making the woman calm down. She made an annoyed noise and crossed her arms, unconsciously imitating Thorin's pose. "Thorin, she will come with us. That is final".

"Why should we accept a woman among us? A woman that is not even a dwarf?".

"Well, you were going to recruit a hobbit to the company, weren't you?", she couldn't help but ask, a bit ironically. Seeing the look he was giving to her, she raised a brow. "Of course I know everything about your mission, Thorin Oakenshield. Did you think that I would come here without knowing what was going on? Seriously, you _really _underestimate me".

"What do you know about our quest, _woman_?", he hissed, approaching her menacingly.

"I said _everything, dwarf_".

Gandalf finally had enough of their dispute.

"ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!", after they both recoiled, he looked at Arethien, furious. "I didn't ask your help for these quarrels, Arethien. You promised me that you would help without any protest!".

"I won't let them underestimate me, Gandalf!", she pointed at Thorin.

He only sighed and put a hand over his head, like he was having a headache.

But, blessed him, Bilbo tried to ease the situation by grabbing Arethien by her hand and dragging her to the dining room to let her eat something. She was more than ready to continue arguing with that stubborn dwarf, but she had to admit that she was rather hungry, and gladly accepted the delicious meals that survived the "dwarven invasion".

While Arethien was eating, Bilbo tried to maintain a conversation with her, but she was too pissed off to be a good guest, even with the hobbit. But, slowly, she started to calm down and started to talk with him, sometimes even smiling a bit.

The other dwarves, even with the little quarrel with their leader, also tried to befriend with her. She tried to learn all their names, but there were too many and were very similar. The conversation with them was slightly more tense, but she tried her best to demonstrate that she wasn't antisocial.

"So, what are you exactly, lass?", asked a kind-looking dwarf with long, white beard. "You're very small to be one of the men race, and your eyes and hair are… quite peculiar".

"I don't know what I am", she shrugged, seemingly unconcerned or unaffected. "Folks town often called me "Monster" and "Scary Witch" and stuff like that. I don't really care; I've never liked them".

"Why did they call you that?", a young dwarf, with long, dark brown hair and stubble as a beard; his deep, brown eyes had a twinkle that she couldn't quite interpret. Right now, it seemed they shone with… Anger? Why...?

"Incomprehension, maybe", Arethien shrugged again. "Men fear what they don't understand".

They felt her humour had changed a bit and decided to leave the obviously painful topic.

Not long after, all the dwarves gathered themselves in the sitting room surrounding the chimney, humming a haunting tune, one that send chills through Arethien's spine, though she didn't know why.

That was when Thorin began to sing, quickly followed by the others:

_Far over the Misty Mountains cold,_

_to dungeons deep and caverns old,_

_we must away, 'ere break of day,_

_to find our long forgotten gold._

_The pines were roaring on the height._

_The winds were moaning in the night._

_The fire was red, it flaming spread._

_The trees, like torches, blazed with light._

_I don't have exactly a place to call "home", like Bilbo and the dwarves_, Arethien was thinking while listening to the music. _They yearn to recover their home. Is it different from what I want?_

She stood up from the coach she has been seating on, and ignoring the glances began walking towards the door.

"Are you really going to leave us, Arethien?", she heard a familiar voice behind her, and that stopped her.

The small woman turned her head slightly. Gandalf was smoking a long pipe, watching at her beneath his bushy brows, and seated in a comfortable chair in front of the main entrance.

"I… I don't know yet", she admitted. "I didn't feel very welcome here, Gandalf. I thought…".

He blew out a sphere of smoke.

"What happened to the little brat who was running from house to house ignoring what others may say? You always did what your heart told you to do. Are you suddenly deaf and can no longer hear what your heart want to say to you?".

Arethien blinked slowly, once, twice.

"Last time I heard my heart, it led me to my own exile, Gandalf the Grey", she murmured; her eyes had darkened because of her memories. "I'm grateful that you tried to get me out from the life that was slowly killing me, but I…".

She stopped abruptly, trying to hide her emotions, and Gandalf sighed again, this time of resignation instead of silent fury and exasperation.

"Very well, then. I cannot stop you, my dear. But…", Arethien halted once more. "I have to try to persuade you. This journey will have a great influence in you. Just… think about it, will you?".

Arethien grabbed the doorknob and looked the old wizard with a gleam in her amber eyes.

"That influence… Will it be good, or bad?".

"That, my dear… Only depends on you".

She opened the door and stood there, looking outside. Or just only thinking of what to say.

"I've always hated that hobby of yours, old man", she said mockingly, smiling. Her tone was slightly different, merrier. "That irritant hobby of answering my questions with ambiguous phrases".

"Oh, my dear", he laughed quietly, "if I ever answer you right away, you will be bored immediately".

"Maybe an answer that don't give me more questions would resolve my life", she slowly dropped her smile, and gave him a serious look. "I'll think about it, I promise".

He nodded, satisfied.

"That's all I ask. Good night, my dear one".

"Good night, old man".

**And that's it, first chapter done! Uf, I thought it would be easier, but it was rather tough because I had to take care of my vocabulary. But here it is, I hope you have enjoyed it. ^^ Ok, so I'll upload randomly because my exams are very near and I have to study. But don't worry, I'll try to upload the second chapter ASAP! Ciao for now!**


	2. Company

**2. Company**

**A/N: Hi again! I've never expected so many people reading my fic, I'm VERY happy! ^^ I totally LOVE YOU ALL! Also, thanks to LadyLucy1990 for following my fic, I'm so happy you liked it!**

**Emily: Thanks! I was worried about my story, I thought the beginning was a bit odd hehe. But don't worry, everything will be explained later on. I hope you continue to read my story ^^**

**I won't keep you waiting any longer, so up to chapter 2!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Hobbit, only Arethien.**

Arethien woke up before sunrise startled, frightened, barely able to contain a scream. She panted, and tried to control her tremors by embracing herself tightly; her eyes scanned the area around her, finding anything dangerous.

The thing was, she didn't know exactly why she was so scared. Maybe it was a bad memory, or a nightmare, but she normally remembered her dreams. She had never woken without remembering what she had dreamt.

The silver-haired woman sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hand. She was sweating and still trembling, even though she was well-covered with her cape. Feeling a jolt up her spine, she tried to forget that sensation by shaking her head with energy and looking around her.

She was in a branch of a high tree, near Bilbo's house. The beautiful landscape of The Shire was covered in a greyish light, prior to sunrise. All was covered in silence and stillness, awaiting the sun to rise and begin to illuminate the world; it was like life itself was also expecting, as if the sun was the trigger to make life move again.

_There is also beauty and life in night, too,_ thought the woman, the fear forgotten.

After containing a yawn with the back of her hand, she jumped from the branch to the floor, bending her knees to cushion the fall. She stretched her arms, quickly removing the last remains of sleepiness. It was going to be a beautiful day; she had that sensation.

Just then, her stomach roared with hunger, and she chuckled; even with the huge meal she had last night, she was always hungry. Thinking about breakfast, she entered Bilbo's house (Bag End, she heard Bilbo call it), and came to the kitchen.

Just when Arethien was going to enter the dining room, with a plate full of food (some cheese, ham and a delicious sausage), she found that she was not the only one awake.

Thorin raised his head and shot her an annoyed look, smoking, still angry for the day before. The dwarf with the white beard and the bald one were also there, both eating. The others were still asleep, she assumed.

"Ah, good morning, lass", the kind dwarf smiled at her.

She narrowed her eyes to the dwarf prince and put the plate on the table.

"Morning", she answered, only a quiet whisper.

There was a tense atmosphere, as the woman and the dwarf looked at each other. The other two ignored them, but the bald dwarf seemed ready to aid his prince.

"I would like some sausage too".

All heads snapped to the entrance. Gandalf was there, smirking, ridiculously enormous in that tiny place; he winked at Arethien.

"No need to have that look, my dear", he said.

"What look?", she grunted, sitting and starting to eat her breakfast. Heck, she was _hungry_. "I always had this face".

"Well, it is true you are not a morning person, but you were not that grumpy".

"Who are you calling grumpy?".

He laughed, and then recovered the seriousness in his expression. The dwarves were watching their exchange quietly.

"Did you think about it, Arethien?".

She merely continued eating, without looking at anyone.

"Actually, I did, yes".

They all waited in silence while she finished her breakfast.

"Let's say this clearly", she looked at Thorin. "I don't like you. Even if you're a prince and all that", her fierce and unnatural eyes kept him silent when he was opening his mouth to say something. "I offered you my help… Well, Gandalf did… And you merely _rejected it_".

"You're a woman", Thorin retorted, calm but resolute at the same time.

"And? Yes, I'm a woman, sorry for that. Should I be weak for that reason? Should I be a defenseless damsel, waiting for a shining-armored knight to rescue me? Should I know how to cook and sew for being a woman? Hmph, I heard that women dwarves are as brave and fighters as men dwarves, but I don't understand why other races' women should be different".

"What makes me think you won't be a burden for us?", Thorin stood up, and she imitated him.

"What makes me think _you_ won't be a burden for _me_? The questions are the same for the two of us, Thorin Oakenshield".

They looked at each other, the tension rising in the air, while Gandalf looked without doing anything. The bald dwarf was going to rise and stand by his prince, but the kind one put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

For a minute or two, both were perfect statues, looking at each other's eyes, until suddenly, the dining room exploded of activity and movement.

The other dwarves entered the room talking between them and carrying their own meals for breakfast, but they catched instantly the tense atmosphere and quieted down, looking at their leader and the small woman respectively.

"Is there any problem, Uncle…?", asked a blonde-haired dwarf, trying to ease the situation.

_Of course there's a problem here, that is quite obvious... Wait... "Uncle"?_

Arethien sighed, removing her hands from the table and rubbing one of her amber eyes, apparently tired.

"Listen, I want to go to the Misty Mountains as much as you do. I have powerful and personal reasons to do so", she avoided eye-contact as she sat down again, trying to calm herself. "But, even being able to fight, it would be crazy going there alone".

Gandalf smiled inwardly. He knew she was doing a great effort to swallow her pride and ask for help; her eyes were a bit different: darker and lonely.

"I don't have to be part of your company, I only want to fight against that… that…", she clenched her jaw, her amber eyes flaming with fury, "that… _blasted orc_".

Thorin raised a brow.

"Orc? What are you talking about?".

"You know him too. The white orc. Azog the Defiler".

The mentioning of that name stiffened everyone, and the dwarf's eyes hardened.

"How do you know him?", his voice was filled with hatred.

"You don't have to know that. It's personal", Arethien shook her head. "I came to you partly because of Gandalf's recommendation, and also because Azog is looking for you".

"He's dead".

She blinked, surprised, and turned her head towards him.

"Eh? What?".

"I said he's dead. He died in his blasted lair".

"That can't be! I sensed him, I _know_ he's alive, he _has to be_!", enraged, she resisted the urge to break everything around her, and breathed slowly to calm her temper. "That blasted orc… You won't get away that easily, I swear it…".

Gandalf looked at her, and then at Thorin; he knew the truth about Azog, but that wasn't the moment to reveal it. It was too dangerous to say it right there and then.

"There is another reason why you want to go to the Misty Mountains, right, Arethien?".

She looked at him, enraged, but tried to calm herself a little upon seeing his gaze.

"Yes…", she growled. "But that… I won't say it. Not here, not now".

_I doubt I will ever be prepared._

Thorin looked at her. His deep blue eyes were like daggers, piercing her soul, trying to uncover her secrets. She didn't like it. Not. At. All.

"Balin", he said. "Give her a contract".

The tension remaining in the atmosphere dropped instantly, and everyone sighed in relief. It was nice to know that there wouldn't be another fight again. There were some smiles among the group as Balin (the kind-looking dwarf) handed her a large piece of paper with the terms of the contract on it; at the bottom, it was signed with Thorin's and Balin's firm.

_So, they were serious about it_, Arethien thought, barely reading the terms and signing at the end. _They are going to retrieve their kingdom from a mighty dragon._

She handed the signed contract to Balin, who accepted it with a light smile.

"Welcome to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, lass", he said.

"Well, enough wasting time", the dwarf prince went to the main door and stepped outside. "Let's depart!".

Ten minutes later, all of them had saddled their ponies and prepared their packs to depart. It was all so different, having a leader instead of being completely alone. Arethien felt strange following his orders; she had been used to follow her own needs.

She finished preparing her pack and hung it on her back, under her large cape. It was about to dawn, and the sky was turning more greyish as seconds went by.

"Seems there ain't enough ponies", said a dwarf with an odd-looking hat on his head.

"Yeah, she has to go with someone", replied another one, trying to control his pony. He had a hairstyle that reminded her of a seastar.

"Don't worry about that, I can go on foot".

"You jokin', lass?", the one with the hat looked at her with a raised brow.

"Hey, I'm very tough. I can go anywhere on foot".

"Don't be an idiot", Thorin cut out the argument. "If you really are strong, don't waste your energy walking. You won't be useful if you're tired".

She opened her mouth to tell him not to give her orders, but Gandalf approached her mounted in his large horse.

"Don't start another quarrel, my dear", he murmured.

She flicked her tongue and looked around her.

"You can go with me, if you want".

She turned to look at the young dwarf of the night before, the one with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. He had a smirk on his face, and she thought that with that smile he seemed even younger than he looked. She accepted his offer by shrugging her shoulders. In a way, Thorin was right; she wouldn't be useful if she was too tired to fight.

The young dwarf's poney was a bit nervous by the proximity of the female member of the company, but it quickly calmed down with the touch of its master. He mounted and helped her mount behind him. Her slender arms hugged him around her chest with a firm grip. With everyone ready to go, Thorin finally gave the order to depart.

The beginning was quite noisy, giving the members of the company, with all the chatters and laughter. They talked about whether Bilbo would show up and join them, and even they made bets; some of the dwarves tried to make her join the bets, but she said she didn't know Bilbo so well and that she found those things a bit stupid and a complete waste of time and money.

"Oh, come on, don't be killjoy!", laughed the blonde dwarf, whose name was Fili. "Will he show up or not? What do you think?".

"I'm not a killjoy, it's only that I don't like bets".

"Why?", asked her companion, looking at her with a playful smirk. "Are you a bad player or what?".

For an unknown reason, she felt a blush cover her cheeks.

"It's not that I'm a bad player!", she protested, slightly punching his shoulder. "But, if you want me to participate, I bet ten silver coins that he'll show up!".

_What have I done?! I'm terribly bad with bettings!_, she thought, alarmed. _And where am I going to get ten silver coins?!_

"Is that so?", Fili's smile turned from playful to challenging. "What do you think, Kili?".

"Then, I bet ten silver coins that Bilbo will not show up", her companion's smile was also defiant.

_I'm so dead~! Come here quickly, Bilbo!_

That day seemed that luck was on her side because, shortly after, they all heard a familiar voice calling for them to wait. When the company halted the ponies and turned around, they saw Bilbo running after them, raising a piece of paper over his head, claiming that he had signed it.

_Phew… It seems I'm saved._

Arethien breathed and then a sincere smile crossed her lips as she looked at Kili.

"You owe me ten silver coins, Kili".

**Well, I stop here 'cause my inspiration ended here xD Nah, don't worry, I'll keep writing right away.**

**Remember to send me a PM or a review if you find any mistake; also please fav it or follow it. That will be a boost for me! Ciao, love y'all!**


	3. Past

**3. Past**

**A/N: Wow. Just… I don't know what to say, I'm so happy ^^. Almost a hundred readers already, and I've started writing a week ago.**

**Now, I've finished with my sentimental momentum, sorry for that hehe. Anyways, thanks to LadyLucy1990 and skinnylove2625 for following my fic, and to Vivig1212 for both following and fav it! Ya mean a lot for me (and also the rest of the readers, of course)!**

**skinnylove2625: Thanks! I won't let you down! ^^**

**So, here is chapter 3: Past. Enjoy it, and remember to send me a PM or a review to let me know about any mistake you can find!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Hobbit, only Arethien.**

Arethien was _bored_. Again.

They had been riding for hours nonstop, and it was nearing dusk, having had only a brief break to eat at noon. They were tired, hungry and their muscles ached. Or at least hers did.

She was beginning to wonder if Thorin knew the meaning of _having a break_.

Well, at least having so much spare time had an use. The other dwarves presented themselves and she knew nearly all of their lives, but she knew she would go _crazy_ if Gloin talked to her once more about his wife and his son Gimli; not that she had anything about marriages and having sons and, generally speaking, of happy lives, but she had sanity, and she wanted to preserve it as much as possible.

Also, the grey-haired woman tried to talk to them about herself, but there were simply_ too much_ personal issues, and most of them were still very painful to talk about.

"And what 'bout your family, lass?", asked Bofur, the dwarf with the odd-looking hat. She had learnt earlier that he was a toymaker, and that made her wonder what kind of people wanted Thorin to join his company.

"Well, there's not much to talk about", Arethien shrugged her shoulders, sensing her companion Kili (as well as some other dwarves) paying attention at her answer. "I really didn't know my father, but my mother was afraid of him. I was a baby when she took me and ran away from him, going as far as she could. She raised me in the best way she knew, but…", she sighed. "I didn't feel very loved by her, to tell you the truth. Last lesson she taught me was 'don't ever be angry'. No idea of what she meant by that".

"Why?", asked Bilbo, riding at hers and Kili's side. "Did she think you were dangerous or something?".

Arethien looked at him, her amber eyes piercing at him.

"You know, it seems you know _exactly_ what to ask. Did you practice or what?", she chuckled at his expression. "What's with that face? It was only a joke".

"Well, it didn't sound like a joke…".

"As for your question… I don't really know if I'm dangerous or not".

"Hey, ya normally know if you're dangerous or not, lass", the fattest dwarf, Bombur, pointed out.

"Well, I_ am_ dangerous, I suppose. I'm quite skilled with daggers, but…".

Her expression suddenly changed, as if remembering something. Something terrifying.

"What's the matter?", she heard Fili asking.

"Ah… Nothing".

Should she say it? Would they understand? It was only a childhood trauma, her mother always told her that. But whenever _that_ happened…

"Your face says otherwise", Kili had turned his head to see her better. "But hey, if you don't want to tell us, we won't force you".

Arethien blinked in surprise, and then a soft smile crossed her lips.

"Hey, so you _do_ smile!", exclaimed her companion, smirking widely. "I thought you were always serious".

The woman raised a brow, her smile disappearing instantly.

"I _am_ serious most of the time, but I can also smile, you know. It's only that dwarves like you sometimes drive me… quite mad".

"Why's that, lass?", asked Nori, the one with a seastar hairstyle.

"Judging you by the way Gandalf told me about you, noise and joy are always accompanying you. It's not that I don't like having fun", she tried to explain quickly, seeing the confused looks of the dwarves. "It's only… that I love quietness and solitude, and obviously by going with you I won't find either of them. I think it's time to assume that", she let out a heavy sigh, as if she was really sorry.

After that conversation, they continued travelling a while more, and during that little amount of time, none of them said anything else, too tired even to open their mouths. The only noise that interrupted the silence among the company was the sound of the hooves of the ponies, like crunching, and an occasional conversation between some dwarves; but, generally, quietness settled among them.

Arethien was also tired, but she was beginning to feel _bored_ too. She was keeping herself distracted by watching the funny movements of Bilbo and his pony, but they quickly got used to one another, and soon both of them were acting as if they were childhood partners or something like that; thus, her only way to distract herself was spoiled.

_And they call me "killjoy"_, she pouted inwardly. _That's a proper nickname for Bilbo, not for me._

She let her eyes close, leaning her forehead against Kili's back, and listened the sound of the wind, trying to amuse herself. That ethereal element always soothed her angst when she was distressed, listening its melodies and movements.

But wind wasn't the element she liked the most. And that fact led to her own exile.

"Hey", she felt Kili's back vibrate when he whispered. "Are you okay?".

"Couldn't be better", she ironized. "Walking to a surely mortal quest, with a bunch of dwarves, an old wizard and a hobbit".

"I'm sorry for that. Seems you don't like us dwarves very much, do you?".

"It's not that I don't like you; I already said that you are not exactly very quiet".

"Well, we are quiet now", she felt his smile through his voice. Silence fell upon them until he spoke again. "Arethien, can I ask you something?".

"Hm? What?".

"Why are you so interested in coming with us?".

_… Well, the same question again._

"Don't you know the word 'personal matter'?".

"Is it really _that_ bad?".

Arethien opened her mouth, but closed it again after a while, unsure of what to say.

"I think you could say so".

"Painful memories, maybe?".

"I don't know. Just… confusing. There are many things in my head that are quite messy right now. Some… blank areas that I can't remember. I can't even recall very well my mother's face, you know? It is… quite frustrating".

Kili didn't say anything, but Arethien knew he was listening to her. Or, at least, that was what she hoped he were doing.

"There is something that I remember very well, however. And it always happens before the blank areas in my memory".

"... What?".

"Fire. Lots of fire. Burning everything. Then everything gets fuzzy, and I feel very tired and confused".

"And then?".

"I always wake up in my shack. That's all. With my mother beside me when she was alive, or alone. Pretty weird, huh?".

Kili opened his mouth to reply, but Thorin's voice interrupted him, ordering his company to stop. When both of them looked at the sky, they realized it was practically sunset. It was time for them to stop riding. The silver-haired woman knew her limbs were going to ache like hell the next morning, but at that moment all she thought was that she would rest her tired body at last.

They found a cavern that seemed large enough to all of them to take shelter, and began to set up the camp. Instead of being wandering around without doing anything, the woman decided to help Gloin and Oin recollect wood for a fire; they were very friendly with her, apart from Kili, Fili, Bofur and Bilbo, and even tried to take the heaviest branches so she wouldn't carry something too big, although she said it was fine. Either way, by the time they finished collecting wood and came back to the already settled camp, her stomach was rumbling furiously.

While eating, all the dwarves and Bilbo watched, between amused and perplexed, the way Arethien devoured her plate as if it was her last meal, while Gandalf simply smirked at her appetite. She had removed her cape long ago, before they seated to eat, and they had discovered that underneath she was wearing a simple leather armor, with cotton trousers and a belt with two beautiful daggers at her lower back. And also, they looked that she was thin, almost bony.

So, where the hell did she put all that food?

"What are you staring at?", she growled between mouthfuls. Yes, she really _hated_ being watched. "I'm hungry".

"So do we, lass", Bofur smiled, and then nudged his brother Bombur. "Ya found a mate for your meals, brother. It seems she'll enjoy 'em like the best!".

She narrowed her eyes, but she felt the corners of her mouth turn slightly upwards. The other dwarves (except some like Thorin or Dwalin, the bald one) exploded in sudden laughter.

_Heh. That was funny._

She heard them talk to one another, finding strangely pleasant their presence and their conversations. She always found useless chatter rather annoying, but hearing those dwarves talk between them was not bothersome. They transmitted some kind of an unknown warmth. Bilbo was a bit taken aback with all that cheerfulness at the beginning, like herself, but managed to follow their jokes the best way he could. The amber-eyed woman merely wrapped herself in her cape and listened to them, smiling sometimes.

That night, Thorin put her to watch. The only ones who were awake were Kili and Fili by the fire (talking between them in muffled voices), Thorin, Balin and Gandalf; each of them were sitting on their own, lost in thoughts. Arethien had settled herself in the limit of the camp, just as the circle of fire ended.

Fire…

Why did she remember fire so well? She had found herself many times watching intently at that fire, as if expecting _something_ going out from it… or as if she could _control_ it.

_Don't be a fool, Arie_, she shook her head. I_f you could do that…_

Well, it _would_ answer many questions. Like… why was she so obsessed with fire? Her cracked memories always involved fire. But nearly everything else was fuzzy.

She watched Bilbo wake up with an irritated hoof, and let out a smile. She observed as he tiptoed near his own pony and gave it an apple. It was funny how he was pampering his mount, and she opened her mouth to say something.

But a loud screech in the distance made her shut it again, as her head snapped to the direction it sounded, hands flying towards her daggers under her cape. The others (except from the sleeping ones) were also tense and alert. Bilbo looked around him, startled, and then turned to Kili and Fili.

"What was that?", he asked, his voice murmuring and terrified.

"Orcs", Kili's voice was dark, as well as his expression.

They heard another screech. The woman's knuckles turned white as she grabbed her daggers, resisting the urge to unsheath them.

"Orcs", she heard Bilbo repeat. His voice was quite afraid.

"Throat-cutters", Fili added in a grim voice. "There'll be dozens of them out there; the lowlands are crawling with them".

"They strike in the small hours, while everyone is asleep. Quick, and quiet, no screams; just a lot of blood".

Arethien had turned her head towards them, and she could see the terrified look in Bilbo's face. Also, she could see that the brothers looked at each other and let out a muffled laughter, and narrowed her eyes.

"You think that is funny?", they heard the grave and scolding voice of Thorin. He was walking towards them, as if he was going to punish them. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?".

Kili and his elder brother seemed ashamed of their behalf.

"We didn't mean anything by it", the younger said, in a low voice.

"No, you didn't", the dwarf prince turned around and walked towards the corner of the cliff, his hands at his back. "You know nothing about the world".

The amber-eyed woman looked at the brothers, who gave Bilbo an apologetic gaze. Arethien released her daggers from her grip.

"Don't mind him, lads", said Balin. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror -Thorin's grandfather- tried to reclaim the ancient kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had gotten there first".

He told the Battle of Azanulbizar; how Azog, the white orc, beheaded Thror, and made Thorin's father crazy and disappear afterwards; how Thorin fought alone with Azog, completely drained both physically and mentally, with an oaken branch as only way to defend himself; how, after grabbing the nearest sword he could find, Azog lost his right arm. The dwarf prince rallied their forces and drove the orcs back with a last effort, and eventually, they won.

But, Balin told them, the amount of killed dwarves far surpassed the livings. There were no songs of celebration or banquets in their honor. The pain was too much to bear.

Arethien felt her eyes watering, and cursing internally, she wiped her tears; that wasn't the moment to feel sympathy. She turned towards the dark horizon.

"And I thought to myself: 'There is one I could follow'", Balin looked at Thorin with bright eyes; she couldn't tell if it was for the unshed tears or the emotion itself. "'There is one I could call King'".

By that time, everyone had woken up and listened to the elder dwarf's story, and when Thorin turned around and looked to his company, they were staring at him in awe and admiration. He walked towards his sack, not looking at anyone.

"And the pale orc…", Bilbo said. "What happened to him?".

The mentioning of the pale orc sent fury to her veins, and she let out a soft growl, unable to contain it. Fortunately, nobody heard it; or else, they chose to ignore it.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came", Thorin's voice was quite harsh. "That filth died of his wounds long ago".

_If he really died._

"I hope he died painfully", she growled nonetheless, her amber eyes fixed in the obscurity in front of her, not turning to the dwarf prince. "He deserved it. The most painful death".

She heard him stop walking, and supposed he was looking at her. But she continued staring at the dark distance, as if looking in the direction she heard the screeches she could save them all.

"Yes", she heard him murmur. "He died painfully. That I can assure you".

An unknown relief covered her as she slumped slightly her shoulders. She nodded.

"We should get some sleep", there were grunts of agreement among the dwarves. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Arethien, Bombur will relieve you in two hours, and then Gloin".

"... Yes".

But she didn't wake Bombur or Gloin. She continued staring at the night, letting the others sleep while she watched over them, lost in her thoughts.

By dawn, she was still thinking; she didn't notice the sun had been risen until she heard footsteps behind her and someone put a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she spun her head around while one of her hands flew to her dagger…

… and found Kili behind her, his eyes looking concerned.

"Did you stay awake the whole night?", he asked, whispering.

Arethien shrugged his hand off her shoulder and stood up, her muscles aching both of the riding the day before and the position she had been during all night. She grunted and went to the fire with the others, not looking in Kili's direction or answering his question. As she ate quietly, ignoring everything and everyone, she looked at the morning sky and saw the dark clouds.

_Well, it seems it will rain today._

**And that's all chapter 3! Phew, it's the largest chapter up to now, I think. Sorry if it became bored to you, but here Arethien makes a small approach to the dwarves, and specially to one of them *winks* ^^ I hope you liked it! Ciao for now love y'all!**


	4. Trolls

**4. Trolls**

**A/N: Hey again, sorry for updating so late! Wow, I feel very touched by all your favs and followings ^^ And I mean it, really! Thanks for supporting me! I won't let you down, I promise!**

**Anyways, thanks for following my fic to:**

**-Bookbug5675**

**-CHH-666**

**-MoonsHollow**

**-Dhalmi93**

**-GIsLovingLifexx**

**-LadyLucy1990**

**-Vivig1212**

**-skinnylove2625**

**And thanks for fav to:**

**-GIsLovingLifexx**

**-Hikari302**

**-Vivig1212**

**Also, thanks to all the anonymous readers that pass by and read my fic (even if they don't like it afterwards). I hope you continue reading my story ^^**

**I won't bother you more. Here is chapter 3: Trolls. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit, only Arethien.**

The company were riding once more, lumbering in single file and surrounded by the forest; all of them quiet, cold, and _soaked_.

Yes, totally soaked. It had been raining all day along, almost since morning. Even completely wrapped in her cape and her hood covering all her face, it didn't stop the cold, and her body was shivering violently. She was glad that at least her arms (which were around Kili's chest) were a bit warmer than the rest of her body. Bilbo, riding behind her, was also quite cold, as his clothes were not really appropriated for rainy days.

"Hey", Kili turned his head with a light smirk. "Are you okay?".

She shot him a murderous look; but it hadn't the effect she expected, with all the shiverings.

"W-why do y-you ask-k?", she tried to speak properly, but her clattering teeth wouldn't move as she wanted.

"You were cursing for a while. You don't like rain, huh?".

"Of c-course not, i-idiot!".

He laughed softly, earning a weak punch on his chest.

"Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?", asked Dori, calling out for the old wizard.

_Agreed!_, she thought, sending a pleading glare to the old man's back. _Please, stop the rain!_

"It is raining, master dwarf!", he answered. "And it will continue raining until it is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard".

The grey-haired woman growled and tried to warm up herself the best way she could, cursing the geezer.

"I am hearing you, Arethien!", exclaimed Gandalf, not bothering to look back.

She stuck her tongue at him, in a surprisingly childish gesture, and the dwarves that saw it stormed in laughter; seeing the serious woman act in such immature way was something unexpected, and even when she sent a murderous look to everyone who laughed, she was also amused.

"Are there other wizards?", Bilbo asked, riding alongside Gandalf then.

"There are five of us", he answered. "The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue wizards…", he paused, and then continued. "You know, I've quite forgotten their names".

_I wouldn't forget my partners' names. Even more if they are quite powerful and potentially dangerous._

"And who is the fifth?".

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown".

"Is he a great wizard or is he more… like you?".

At that seemingly innocent question, Arethien tried her best to muffle a laugh by keeping a hand over his mouth. That sounded as if Gandalf wasn't very powerful. Oh, if she could see his face…!

"I think he is a very great wizard, on his own way", his voice was perfectly neutral, although he was surely feeling offended. "He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East; and a good thing too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world".

They continued moving for at least two more hours, and during that time (finally!), the rain began to fade until eventually it stopped. Arethien couldn't contain a sigh of relief as her grip on Kili loosened a little. Even with her wet clothes, even with her clattering teeth and the shivers that went through her body, she let out a genuine smile as she looked at the clearer sky.

The others seemed also quite relieved that the rain stopped, although the cold didn't affect them the same way it affected to Bilbo or to herself. Their humor improved also when the skies cleared up, talking merrily and making jokes. Some of them even began to _sing_!

"Oh, boy…", she murmured. "If they sing, it'll rain again".

Bilbo heard her, and he smiled while riding alongside them.

"I don't think you should worry, Miss Arethien".

"Please, Bilbo, it's only Arethien, or Aree if you want. And what do you mean by that?".

"You heard their song while being in Bag End, didn't you? Don't tell me you didn't like it".

Arethien turned her head away, grumbling something. Her face went blank as she stared at something between the trees, and then looked at the hobbit.

"What are you going to do after all this is over, Bilbo?", she asked.

"Eh?...", he blinked; she had never initiated a conversation willingly. "Well, I'm not sure… I think I will come back to Bag End. Restart my life, I suppose", his gaze lifted up to the sky. "Maybe, with my part of the treasure, I can improve a few things in my house".

"You want to come back to your normal life, then".

"Umm, yes… And what about you?", he looked at her amber eyes.

She smiled. An odd smirk, one he couldn't quite interpret.

"I don't think I'll be able to stay alive after this quest, Mr Baggins".

Right before he could ask why she said that or what she meant by that, Thorin ordered the company to stop. They had arrived at a small clearing, in which were an old abandoned farm, in ruins. After dismounting, Arethien sniffed discreetly the air and discovered the terrain to be inhabited not long ago, and a strange odour was not exactly orcish.

_Whatever caused this, it is not nearby… At the moment_, she thought.

"We'll camp here for the night", Thorin raised his voice. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them. Oin, Gloin, get a fire going".

The dwarves began to set up camp, following Thorin's orders. Bilbo decided to help with the ponies, alongside Balin, while Arethien removed her cape from her shoulders and put it aside. Her leather armor gave her the look of a true female warrior, her two daggers firmly attached at her lower back; her leggings seemed old but resistant, as well as her mittens and her knee-high boots; it was odd, but she was completely wrapped in clothing, except obviously her face.

She made a high ponytail with her silver hair, using a leather strap, and walked to Bilbo and the others, who were finishing unsaddling their ponies; the small woman noticed both Gandalf and Thorin arguing inside the farm's ruins, and then she watched the wizard storm out, mumbling something angrily.

"Is everything alright?", the hobbit asked, confused at his anger, as the wizard stormed by him. "Gandalf, where are you going?".

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense!".

"And who's that?".

"Myself, Mister Baggins!", Gandalf burst, startling the hobbit a little and making Arethien frown. "I've had enough of dwarves for one day".

Arethien turned around to see Thorin standing in front of the old farm, purposefully ignoring Gandalf's departure and barking more orders to Bombur.

Blasted stubbornness of yours, prince Thorin, she growled for herself. _It will be one day the ruin for you._

"Is he coming back?", Bilbo asked Balin, who didn't know what to answer and simply shrugged his shoulders.

"He will", said Arethien, in an attempt to reassure him. "Maybe he's not always when and where we want him to be, but everytime we're in trouble, he'll surely help us". The small woman walked to Thorin, ignoring Balin and Bilbo's surprised looks, and said to him: "I will go hunting. Maybe I will come back at dusk".

He observed her with narrowed eyes and gave her a careful nod. Without looking at anyone else, she walked into the forest.

Finally alone and surrounded only by nature and the noises of animals running away from her (a noise she had grown accustomed to), Arethien let herself relax her extremely acute senses to hunt; senses she had to keep restrained in the presence of the Company.

New and old sensations filled her, surrounding her. The earth beneath her feet, the air floating around her; the smells of preys and predators in the forest; the slight noises of both big and small animals. Opening her eyes and letting a fierce smile cross her lips, she unsheathed one of her daggers and began the hunting.

It was near dusk when she finally ended her task, tired and with her preys at her side. But it had been surprisingly more successful that she had thought it would be; two grown, fat hares, alongside with a fawn with savage cuts on its neck. She had been lucky; normally, even with having her "supernatural" senses, it was very difficult to hunt such preys without a bow or traps. Carrying the two hares in one hand and hauling the fawn with the other, she walked back to the already settled camp, with sore muscles and sensing her entire body (once filled with adrenaline) beginning to relax at last, anticipating a good dinner by the fire, surrounded by the dwarves' jokes.

When she stepped inside the circle of fire, the dwarves looked at her and cheered at the sight of the animals she had hunted. Arethien handed them to Bombur, who began to cook them right away, and slumped to the floor next to Oin.

"That's amazing, lass", Gloin complimented her, with a great smirk on his bearded face as he patted her shoulder.

"Indeed", Balin also gave her a warm smile, with his pipe on his mouth.

She thanked their compliments with a slight nod, too tired to talk. Looking around, she noticed that the two youngest brothers, Fili and Kili, were not among them, and frowned.

"Where are Fili and Kili?", she asked to Gloin, seated next to her.

She could already smell the delicious food Bombur was preparing, and her stomach was beginning to rumble.

"Watchin' the ponies", he answered pointing in a vague direction, eagerly accepting a bowl from the fat cook of the Company.

She narrowed, her amber eyes following the direction he had marked, and sniffed quietly.

_What is that smell?_

She was tired, but that odd smell had activated her inner alarms, noticing it was similar she had detected when they stopped earlier. She watched Bilbo accept two bowls to give to the brothers and walk away; her eyes followed him, debating herself whether she should go after him or not.

And then, she _heard_ it.

A quiet snap, in the direction she had came. Her body moved automatically, raising from her sitting position and hands moving towards her daggers, scanning the darker forest.

"What's the matter, Arethien?", asked Nori, in a startled voice; apparently, he had approached her to give her a bowl of food, but her sudden and quick movement almost knocked him.

"Something's not right", she said, her voice several octaves dropped. "I will go and see what's it".

"Wait, you shouldn't go by yourself!".

Balin called for her, but she had already moved into the woods, looking for the source of the noise she had heard. That snap sounded suspiciously like a branch being split by a giant foot. But that giant creature wasn't supposed to be there, if it was what she thought it was.

She didn't entered much into the forest when she suddenly heard, West-Southwest from her position, the sounds of battle; war cries, thumping sounds, inhuman roars. Then, a tense silence.

Fearing the battle was over without her and the final result, she turned on her heels and started running swiftly and as quietly as she could manage, her daggers unfold and with a firm grip. Her amber eyes shone with grim determination as she approached a dim light between the trees, maybe a fire. As she reached it, she hid behind some bushes and peered carefully.

_Well, there seems to be trouble over here._

And a strange problem it was. Some dwarves (and the hobbit) were in sacks and in the ground, while others were tied to an spit on the fire, in underwear. Their captors (as her nose told her very well) were three giant trolls. Awful creatures.

But, what were they doing so close to the south? Their home wasn't there. Arethien shook her head sharply, trying to focus. Questions, for later. She should act at that moment, or the mighty Company of Thorin Oakenshield would be nothing more than lunch for trolls; and she was positive that that ending was quite pathetic.

_Of course, who would like to admit that they started a glorious journey to retrieve a kingdom and their treasures from a dragon and ended up in a troll's stomach?_

Well, they would be dead, so they couldn't say anything about it. But yes, it would be very pathetic.

Focus! Her eyes flew frantically, trying to find something (anything!) that she could use to free them. She spotted the weapons piled far away from the dwarves, and directly on the other side of the clearing, so she couldn't go and grab them without being discovered. She should use something else.

Just then, her amber eyes looked at the fire.

Those dancing flames. Flaming red, fiery orange and bright yellow. It was simply beautiful; back home, when her mother was still alive, she would spend hours watching the fire when her mother cooked; that frightened her, and since that day, she never started a fire again.

She removed one of her mittens, still watching at the fire; her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, debating with her inner self constantly, not knowing what to do, not knowing what would happen if she used _that_.

_I should try it at least_, her mind resolved her doubts quickly, and extended her uncovered hand at the fire's direction, her brows furrowed in concentration.

Nothing happened.

Arethien closed her eyes tightly, feeling sweat beginning to trail her forehead, as if she was on fire. Harder, she had to try _harder_…

A light sparkle, a sudden and odd movement of the fire. It had shaped briefly something that reminded her of a wolf. Fortunately, the trolls didn't notice, but maybe the others did.

She smiled fiercely. Great! She was beginning to do it. Only… a little more…

That time, it worked. _It really worked._

_Almost too well, I have to say._

A giant wolf, made entirely of fire, emerged suddenly from under the spit, making the dwarves scream of both fright and pain from the heat. It roared, and attacked one of the trolls, commanded by Arethien, who was biting her lip trying to control properly the fiery beast.

Watching the incredible scenery before them, Bilbo looked around him and spotted the silver-haired woman, a hand stretched towards the beast, her brows furrowed; she was looking awful, as if she was going to collapse at any moment.

But, unfortunately, the smartest troll noticed her as well, and went after her with giant steps.

"Arethien, look out!", the hobbit screamed, but it was too late.

She couldn't move, both because of the necessity of controlling the wolf to avoid burning the company, and also because the extreme heat inside her was like an inferno. She saw the troll approaching her, but she couldn't avoid it. She did, however, sent back the wolf towards her attacker. The wolf crushed against the troll's back, but it vanished almost instantly. The giant hand of the troll snaked around her waist and pulled her up, making her yelp in surprise.

"Oh, what have we here?", it smiled. And then, suddenly, it threw her beside the dwarves, screaming in pain.

"What happened? What happened?", the smallest troll asked stupidly.

"She was burning! It was like grabbing fire!".

"Can fire be grabbed?", the second one wondered.

"Of course not, you idiot! But it seemed like it!".

She coughed, as she had landed on a hard root, and looked up at the dwarves. They observed her with concern, and she smiled a bit in a reassuring way, although she was too weak to try to liberate them; damn, she was even too weak to_ move_.

"Can we eat her too? I'm hungry", the small troll whimpered.

"Yeah! She can be the sauce!", the medium one grabbed again the spit. "It will give the meat a spicy flavour maybe".

The smartest troll looked down at her angrily, curling the injured hand in a fist.

"Nevermind. She will be the last one"it turned away and walked towards its brothers. "Let's cook the dwarves first. Hurry up; I won't like the sun to rise and turn us all into stone. Ah, and use first sage; I like the sage in my meat".

Arethien looked up at the trolls. Did she hear well? Was that the troll's weakness? She calculated mentally the time that had passed and the time remaining before dawn, and realized it was a little amount of time. Maybe minutes.

"Wait!", the sudden voice of Bilbo echoed through the clearing, as he stood up with a little effort and hopped towards the trolls in a very comical way. "You are making a terrible mistake!".

_He had heard it too._

"You can't reason with them!", Dori exclaimed from the spit. "They're halfwits!".

"Halfwits?! What does that make us?!", Bofur tried to joke even tied on a spit and being roasted over a fire.

"I meant with the seasoning!", Bilbo insisted. "Have you smelled them? You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot".

_That's right, Bilbo_, she thought, trying to at least seat against the trunk of the tree. _You keep distracting them._

The arguing between the trolls was making her having a headache, and she growled fiercely. Bilbo was beginning to panic, and she prayed inwardly that his idea would save them all.

"The secret is… To skin them first!".

_… Maybe it was too much asking._

Of course, everyone started to yell at him, calling him traitor and something worse.

"Rubbish! I've eaten plenty with their skins on! Scuff them, I say, boots and all".

"Aye, ain't nothing wrong with some raw dwarf", the smallest troll reached over the dwarves and picked up Bombur by his feet, prepared to eat him.

At this sight, Arethien tried to move the fire again, but her energy had been completely drained. She cursed.

"Not that one! He's infected!".

"You what?", asked one of them.

"Yeah…! He's got worms in his… tubes!".

The troll dropped Bombur back into the pile, atop the others.

"In-in fact, they all have", Bilbo's imagination was beginning to flow from his mind. "They're infested with parasites! It's a terrible business. I wouldn't risk it; I really wouldn't".

Arethien let out a quiet laugh that went unnoticed because of the choirs of "Traitor!" that filled the clearing, shouted by the dwarves. Luckily, Thorin realized Bilbo's purpose and made them follow the hobbit's idea. The trolls looked at them and then at each other in confusion.

But the smart one was simply_ too smart_.

"What would you have us do, then?", it asked, approaching menacingly the hobbit. "Let them all go?".

"Well…", he couldn't think on a proper excuse as it poked him on the chest, making him stumble backwards.

"You think I don't know what you're up to? This little ferret is taking us for fools!".

"Ferret?", squeaked Bilbo, offended.

"Fools?", echoed the smallest troll.

And just then, help arrived in the form of a wizard. Gandalf stood on top of a large rock above the clearing and with the first lights of day beginning to shine behind him.

"The dawn will take you all!".

The three trolls turned around quickly and spotted the elder man above the rock. He brought his staff down onto the rock, splitting it in two and letting the light to shine through. The trolls yelled in pain as the sun hit their skins; in merely seconds, they turned into three ugly statues.

There were a moment of silence; and then, the clearing was filled with cheers.

**And that's it! This extra-long chapter is an apology for the delay, so I hope you liked it. If you find any mistake, feel free to send me a PM or a review and I'll fix it. Thanks for your support, I'll see you in the next chapter! Love you!**


	5. Treasures

**5. Treasures**

**A/N: Hi again! Wow, almost 500 readings already, I'm SO HAPPY ^^ I would like some more comments though (no pressures xD). One thing, maybe I'll stop uploading in a while, 'cause though we are near vacations (yay, Christmas! ^^), I have to study hard, pity. But don't worry, I'll be back soon ^^**

**As always, thanks for following my fic to: Aquamarina12, BeanieBaby96, Bookbug5675, CHH-666, MoonsHollow, Dhalmi93, ElijahMikealsofan, GIsLovingLifexx, GeekatHeart21, LadyLucy1990, MoonsHollow, Sebastian001, TrueBeliever, Vivig1212, niallsmyboo99, skinnylove2625 and Cherry-Kisses**

**And also thanks for fav to: Aquamarina12, BeanieBaby96, GIsLovingLifexx, Hikari302, , VioletRedSkies, Vivig1212 and basketball4444.**

**-Dhalmi93: Thanks, I hope you continue reading my story.**

**-TrueBeliever: Thank you! I was worried I was making Arethien too Mary Sue (?). Yeah, that's my intention, but it'll be a slow building romance. Guess who will be? ;D**

**Did I tell you that I love you? If I didn't, well, you already know ^^**

**Also, thanks to all my anonymous readers, I know you are there too ^^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own (unfortunately) The Hobbit, only my OC Arethien.**

Surrounded by dwarven cheers, Arethien stood with a little bit of effort, still dazed for the impact and use of her abilities. After helping Bilbo with his bindings (and thus allowing him to free the others), Gandalf approached her and helped her stand upright.

"Are you alright, my dear?", he whispered.

She blinked several times, as if trying to remember where she was and what was she doing. Then she looked up at the tall wizard; fortunately, her eyes were regaining her usual sharpness.

"I suppose", she said, separating herself from the wizard. "But remind me not to use my powers again. It drains my energy too much".

He laughed under his breath, but didn't hide the concern in his eyes.

The silver-haired woman looked down at her hand and realized right then that she had removed her mitten to save the dwarves; she went to the bushes she had been hiding not so long ago and, knelt in the ground, started to search the fingerless glove. It wasn't necessary, but she felt safer with both her mittens on.

_But where is that blasted mitten…?_

Suddenly, a hand with her mitten in it appeared at her side, and when she looked up discovered it was Bilbo; he had an amazed look in his green eyes… and also, a gleam of fear at the bottom of his pupils.

But, just as he opened his mouth to say something (Arethien didn't bother to wonder what), she took her mitten out of his hand and put it on again, without saying anything and standing up. Her body relaxed slightly with her mitten recovered.

_Should I say thanks at least? Nah, forget it. He'll live without it._

"Um, Arethien…?", she heard the halfling talking behind her.

She was trying to ignore him, but he was simply too insistent.

"What?", the woman looked at him over her shoulder.

"Um, I was wondering… How did you do that?".

"Do what?".

"You know… The fire thing…".

Arethien rushed in front of him in the blink of an eye and stared at him fixedly, without even blinking; her piercing eyes bore into him like burning embers, dangerous and threatening. Startled, the hobbit tried to step back, but he collided with a tree and couldn't move.

"If you say something to the dwarves, _anything_…", her voice was low, and hollow, "_I will burn you alive_". He swallowed hard.

"There's no need for that".

The voice behind her was even lower than hers, more intimidating. She slowly turned her head behind and looked at the dwarves, gathered around their leader. Said leader stood proudly, his arms folded, his face grim and his deep-blue eyes burning her. The others had different expressions, but predominantly they were fear and awe. Some of them had their weapons recovered and drawn (like Dwalin and some of the elders); as if she was some kind of threat. Gandalf was behind all of them, away from the scenery, with an odd look on his face.

With the same slowness she used to turn her head, Arethien stepped twice away from Bilbo.

"I also want to know how did you do that, woman", Thorin said, his voice still threatening.

Arethien didn't answer, at first; she merely returned his look, though hers had turned slightly smoother and didn't have that ferocity she had shown to Bilbo. Instead she looked almost… sad?

"I don't intend to hurt any of you, Thorin Oakenshield", she said, her voice gentler this time. "What you have seen… It's only what I can do".

There were silence, and then Arethien sighed, looking at them in the eye.

"I am what some call a witch of the wild".

"Witch of the wild?", asked Bilbo, confused.

"Well, kind of", she played with an eagle feather in her hair. "I think I'm half witch of the wilds, or something like that. My father was the one who had the powers, not my mother".

"But what is a witch of the wild exactly?", insisted Ori, also interested.

That seemed rather an awkward question for Arethien, judging her expression. But Gandalf stepped beside her to answer for her.

"Mages of the wilds are those people (whether men, elves or even dwarves) who were born with a special ability to control the four elements of nature: fire, water, wind and earth", he answered. "They often hide away from civilization, as their reasons are normally misunderstood, but they are friendly and trustworthy people, if they trust you enough… Which, I must say, it is quite a difficult task to fulfil".

"Why, thank you, Gandalf", she raised an eyebrow at him, but he merely laughed under his breath.

"You must admit it, Arethien, the people of your father is distrustful".

"I don't saying otherwise, but would you say that _I'm_ distrustful?".

"I don't think you want me to answer that question, my dear".

Thorin cleared his throat, making both leave their friendly teasing for a while.

"Why did you say you are half witch?".

"Because my father was a mage of the wild, but my mother wasn't. It's as simple as that".

He narrowed his eyes.

"You should have told us about what you are".

"If I had, then it would have been _me_ who wouldn't trust you. Mages of the wilds are accustomed to this type of distrust relationships, Thorin. You are dangerous, I am also dangerous, both in our own ways. That is all".

Behind that simple explanation, there was much more history, but at that moment Arethien wasn't in the mood of telling it; furthermore, it wasn't also the time. She thought Thorin would be content with that explanation.

His emotionless blue eyes looked at hers.

"Gandalf, I want to speak to you", he said, his voice and face unreadable. "Balin, Kili, Fili, come with us too".

The five of them moved away from the rest of the company, and Arethien sighed again, folding her arms. She noticed just then that she had left her cape in the camp.

_So that's why I'm feeling so exposed._

Well, it was only a cape. She could buy a new one.

She could hear (and see) Thorin's small group talking quietly with each other, probably wondering the pros and cons of having her in the company. Maybe Gandalf would try to convince him that her powers could be handful in the fight against the dragon.

Well, in a way, she was useful, but since only one of her parents was a mage of the wild, she had inherited only half of his powers; that was the reason why she had to learn how to fight with weapons, in case her powers would fail her, though they never had. Her powers only appeared when it was needed, except for those situations in which she was under a great pressure or when her feelings overwhelmed her; in those cases, her powers emerged like an explosion and her energy was drastically drained.

Also, she didn't want to admit that it was… difficult for her controlling an element willingly. She was even surprised that the fire wolf didn't burn out the whole clearing.

_Maybe if you practice more, instead of locking your powers inside, you would be able to master them._

Oh, sometimes she couldn't stand herself.

"Um… Arethien?", the woman heard a timid and familiar voice and quickly looked up.

"Bilbo", Arethien couldn't contain a little surprise. After all, she _had_ threatened him; she expected him to get away from her in any way he could.

He sat beside her, his legs crossed, and looked at the reunion between Thorin, his nephews, Balin and Gandalf. The other dwarves wandered around the clearing, doing God-knew-what.

"Don't worry, they'll let you come with us", he sent her a reassuring smile, surprising her even more. "You are part of the company, after all, and you saved us".

"And I have almost burned you, halfling", she answered, her eyes in the floor; her voice was neutral, as well as her face. "Almost killed the only burglar in the company".

"Well, you didn't, right?" You only… scared me a little".

She couldn't avoid smirking a bit.

"And about your powers… Could you… tell me something about them?".

The witch looked at him from the corner of her eye. His curiosity was never-ending, it seemed.

"Some mages only controls one, two or even three elements, normally. As you have seen, I can manipulate fire, and I'm fairly good with wind, but earth and water escapes at my control", she took a branch and tried to do something with it, but only appeared a little flame that she quickly extinguished. "And, because that I'm only half witch, I can't manipulate them completely. It's a bit frustrating; knowing that my powers are there, but being unable to control them".

"I'm sorry. That must be tough".

"It is. But I suppose I'm used to it".

There was a little silence.

"Arethien? Would you have really burned me?".

She looked at him, but didn't answer, her face completely blank.

Just then, Thorin and the others (including the rest of the company that had been wandering around) approached them, and the half-witch stood up, internally unsure of what decision they have made and how would she take them, if bad. While talking with Bilbo, she had discovered that she really _enjoyed_ staying with the company, travelling with them. Even with their loud noises and their extreme joyfulness, the annoying questions of the youngest dwarves and the insatiable curiosity and naïvety of the hobbit, being with them let her allow discover something of herself she didn't know.

She had been living on her own in her shaft with the only company of those animals who weren't afraid of her, and she had been living okay. But she had felt lonely. And, now that she had been travelling with a company, she had discovered that she _hated_ being alone; she didn't want to come back to her shaft and live the life she had been having. She didn't want to be alone again.

But she had pride. She couldn't tell Thorin that sort of things.

_And, just yesterday, I thought Thorin was too prideful._

"You haven't told us about your abilities", said the dwarven leader, breaking the tense silence.

"But you also saved our lives", Balin decided to intervene, bringing her a warm smile, like always he talked to her. "Plus, your abilities would be useful against the dragon".

"That's the main reason Gandalf told me to accompany you", Arethien tried to maintain a steady voice while looking firmly into Thorin's deep-blue eyes. "Well, and also my personal reasons".

_Please, just let me go with you. I don't want to be alone anymore._

Gandalf's wise eyes looked at her sharply, as if reading her mind. His face had an empathetic look. Thorin approached her and stepped in front of her, his piercing eyes boring into hers.

"Let me state this clear", he murmured, his voice with a hint of threatening. "You hurt anyone of my company, you're out".

Then, he quickly turned around and began shouting orders about finding a troll's cave that was nearby. The others began to move quickly, some of them glaring at the half-witch.

Arethien was stunned at the decision the dwarf prince had made. Noticing her stillness, Kili approached her, with a wide smirk on his face. The rest of the company were already walking away, following Thorin and Gandalf.

"Hey, aren't you happy?", he asked. "You're still sticking with us".

The half-witch blinked several times and then flushed slightly, turning her head away.

"I suppose", and, without saying anything else, she also started to follow the others, ignoring the small trembling on her legs.

As the wizard had said, the troll cavern wasn't too far away, and it wasn't very well hidden. But it wasn't their sight which revealed them the position of the cave, but their noses.

"What's that _stench_?", exclaimed Nori, holding his nose.

"It's a troll hoard", answered Gandalf; he didn't seem affected by the smell.

Arethien coughed, and held her hand over her mouth and nose, trying to minimize the stench. It was so disgusting; her eyes were watering, and she wasn't even near the entrance. How could Thorin and the others stand that awful stink?, she wondered as the leader and some dwarves entered the cave.

Bilbo didn't enter either, as well as Kili and Fili, among others. Arethien stood slightly apart, testing her strength.

_Seems that fire wolf didn't take much energy than other times. But it's better not to push my luck any further._

It didn't take long before the ones who were in the cave went outside, some of them holding treasures they have found. Thorin was holding a new brand sword, as well as Gandalf. Bofur and Nori were suspiciously carrying a shovel and were covered in dust, like they had been excavating.

"What do you think they were doing?", she heard Fili asking to his brother.

She approached them and stepped beside Kili, who greeted her with a bright smile.

"Knowing Bofur and Nori, maybe burying some golden coins. Trolls often have lots of treasure".

Arethien looked at Bilbo; Gandalf had given him an elven sword that fit to him, and the hobbit was admiring it.

_How is he going to fight? He isn't holding it correctly even; it's a miracle he didn't cut himself already._

And, just then, birds cried out and took flight, startling everyone and making them hold their weapons.

"Something's coming!", alerted Thorin.

They all stood in a semicircle, watching every inch of the forest, every suspicious movement of the bushes. Then they heard a distant voice gradually approaching that was screaming something:

"Thieves! Liars! Murderers!".

The company tensed up, grabbing their weapons tighter, ready to jump and attack their pursuer. The bushes in front of them suddenly moved with violence and something went out, shouting fiercely.

Arethien blinked. Then blinked again, and raised an eyebrow, confused.

_Is that… a sled? With a dozen of giant rabbits riding it? And who the hell is that geezer?_

**Okay, I'll stop here at the moment, sorry. Wish I could continue writing, seriously, but I can't, I must study. Damn, I wanna write more~ T.T**

**Well guys, hope you enjoy holidays and, in case I don't see you, merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And yeah, you know, R&R, PM me if you find any mistake, fav it or follow it, doesn't matter and blah blah blah.**

**So, see you soon my dears~ Ciao, I love y'all! ^^**


	6. Persecution

**6. Persecution**

**Hey guys, I'm back (temporarily)! OK, I was really bored, so I decided to continue writing a little more, since I've abandoned you for quite a while (uh, almost two or three weeks, I lost count xD).**

**Before I forget, Happy New Year! ^^ I hope this year my studies don't kill me xD My goal this year is… well, meeting someone special maybe? Still single, pity T.T Nobody loves me~ Nah, my family and closest friends do love me however. Hey, what did you guys wish for this year?**

**BTW, did you see The Battle of the Five Armies? I feel so DISAPPOINTED! Well, I already knew what was going to happen at the end, but still, I didn't like the movie.**

**So, as always,thanks for following my fic to: Aquamarina12, BeanieBaby96, Bookbug5675, Boston Rider, CHH-666, Dhalmi93, ElijahMikealsofan, GIsLovingLifexx, GeekatHeart21, LadyLucy1990, LittleApollyon, MoonsHollow, Sebastian001, TrueBeliever, Vivig1212, niallsmyboo99, skinnylove2625 and Cherry-Kisses.**

**And also thanks for fav to: Aquamarina12, BeanieBaby96, Boston Rider, GIsLovingLifexx, Hikari302, LittleApollyon, TrueBeliever, VioletRedSkies, Vivig1212 and basketball4444.**

**Did I tell you that I love you? If I didn't, well, you already know ^^**

**Also, thanks to all my anonymous readers, I know you are there too ^^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own (unfortunately) The Hobbit, only my OC Arethien.**

Confusion and mistrust (at least from Thorin, as expected) dwelled in the Company as the little man and his team of giant rabbits stepped into the clearing among the dwarves. His look was rather disheveled, with his messy brown hair under a pointy hat and what looked like a spread of bird excrement on the side of his face, a pair of wild-looking eyes, and a tunic that was covered in patches.

_He seems a simple beggar_, Arethien thought, frowning. _One with a sled ridden by giant rabbits, but a beggar nonetheless. Ugh, did he _ever _take a shower? He smells worse than the trolls!_

"Radagast!", exclaimed Gandalf, approaching the little man in giant steps. "Radagast the Brown! What on earth are you doing here?".

_Wait, this is Radagast? The Radagast Gandalf spoke about?_

"I was looking for you, Gandalf!", Radagast's voice was full of hurry and concern as he reached to the taller wizard. "Something is wrong, terribly wrong!".

"Yes?".

The smaller wizard opened his mouth, ready to blurt out the problem, but stopped before a syllable left his mouth. He looked confused and frustrated at the same time.

"Oh where is it? I swear the thought was right on the tip of my tongue!", he opened his mouth widely to Gandalf as if to demonstrate the veracity of that phrase. Arethien frowned again, and then made a disgusted expression when she saw the other wizard put his fingers inside his mouth and pulling an insect out. "Oh! It's not a thought at all… It's a silly old insect".

"I'm going to puke", she mumbled.

"Well, that makes two of us", Kili answered beside her. He had also a funny expression on his face, as if he was holding nausea.

Gandalf then brought his fellow friend away from the Company to speak more privately. From afar, Arethien observed them and noticed the hurried expression of Radagast and the gradually preoccupied look on Gandalf's face.

_That can't be good_, she thought, biting her bottom lip. _If they're worried, we should be too._

A howl was then heard, and she snapped out of her thoughts, quickly raising an unsheathed dagger in one hand. The others imitated her, looking around.

"Was that a wolf?", asked Bilbo nervously, looking at the tense Company and the two wizards that were approaching them. "Are there wolves nearby?".

"Wolves?", said Bofur. "No, that is not a wolf".

The bushes moved slightly as Arethien watched, and a massive warg appeared behind Dori; before she could say or do anything, the creature pounced and landed upon the kind dwarf. Thankfully, Thorin was nearby, and it took him only moments to stab it with his newly acquired blade before the dwarf was injured.

Suddenly, Arethien heard a snapping noise behind her, followed by a low growl; she spun around quickly to find another warg inches away from her face. It growled at her again; when it was preparing to jump over her, the half-witch stepped back with a loud yell, colliding with Kili and Fili. At her shout, everyone turned around; Kili, after putting the silver-haired woman behind him, shot an arrow to him and Dwalin quickly finished him off.

It was over in matter of seconds. Arethien looked down at the dead warg, shuddering and with both daggers clutched in her slightly trembling hands; she had seen death up close, but never in the eyes of a dark creature as a warg. And not only that; a warg had been able to approach at them without being noticed.

_They are sneaky, blasted creatures._

"Are you alright?", murmured Kili, seeming concerned at her expression.

She blinked rapidly and nodded.

"Warg scouts!", exclaimed Thorin, after approaching the corpse and examining it. "Which means an orc pack is not far behind!".

"An orc pack?!", the poor hobbit let out a squeak, terrified.

"Who did you tell of your quest, beyond your kin?", Gandalf stood in front of Thorin in a moment, his profound eyes shining with concern.

"No one".

"Who did you tell?!".

"No one, I swear! What in Durin's name is going on here?", the dwarf prince looked at the wizard.

"You are being hunted".

"We've got to get out of here", grunted Dwalin, still holding his axe.

"We can't!", Ori's voice sounded frightened. "We've got no ponies! They bolted!".

"Then we run!", Arethien sheathed her weapon; they could already hear the orc pack approaching alarmingly fast. "We still have legs, don't we?".

"How in Durin's name are we going to outrun a hunting pack by simply running?", exclaimed Nori. "They'll catch us!".

"I'll draw them off!", Radagast suddenly volunteered, and they all turned around to look at the little weird-looking wizard. The half-witch observed him with a spark of respect in her amber eyes, realizing that maybe she had underestimated him.

"These are Gundabad wargs", Gandalf approached his fellow companion, concern in his voice. "They will outrun you!".

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits! I'd like to see them try".

The Grey wizard didn't seemed relieved, but he nodded anyways. All the company gathered their packs and stuff, and then started to run in the opposite direction of the snarling and howling sounds, very numerous by that moment, quickly losing sight of the valiant Brown wizard.

As they stormed out from the forest and reached the hill, Gandalf guided them to every large rock they could find and waited to Radagast to attract the wargs; once he had called their attention and were away from the Company, the Grey wizard would continue ahead of the Company to the next amount of large rocks.

Running behind Bilbo and in front of Kili, Arethien soon found out she was a little out of shape as she began panting much before her companions and her side began aching. She tried to catch up their rhythm in order to not slow them down; fortunately, the hobbit was in much worse shape than her. She pushed him gently but firmly whenever he slowed a bit. The air was filled with the growls and howls of the wargs chasing down Radagast. There had been a moment of danger when Ori almost got spotted by the wargs, but thanks to Thorin's quick reflexes, the scribe (and the rest of the Company) was safe and sound and the wargs continued after Radagast.

Suddenly, they spotted the Brown wizard's sled a few miles ahead of them and the warg and orcs following him, causing Gandalf and the Company to withdraw and stand behind another massive rock. The half-wizard panted quietly, but then quieted down as she heard something above them. That something (a warg with an orc on his back) sniffed the air and stood over the boulders, trying to catch their scent. Thorin then eyed his youngest nephew and gave him a silent order; the young dwarf didn't need more instructions as his hand went silently to his quiver and gathered an arrow, his face frown with concentration. He stepped away from the boulders and took aim at the warg; just at it spotted him and snarled, the dwarf archer fired and the beast rolled down from the rock with a yelp, dragging its rider behind. As soon as they landed, Dwalin, Bifur and Gloin finished them off, but they couldn't avoid the loud dying sounds of the warg that filled the air.

The din was short, but as soon it quieted down, they perceived that the howls were much nearer now. Arethien went to the edge of the boulder and looked quickly; with a shudder, she noticed that the orc pack had heard the noises and were after them.

"They have noticed us!", she yelled in a hurry, looking at the tall wizard above her.

"Run!", was his only answer, and that they did.

Not bothering to hide anymore, they ran for their lives, trying to leave the wargs behind, ignoring their snarls and unearthy howls as they drew nearer and nearer. It was only matter of time that they would be hunted down, and all would be over.

_No! I won't die here!_

Arethien gritted her teeth as she forced her muscles to run faster, ignoring her body's protests and her heavy wheezings, surpassing everyone and going ahead of the Company.

But, just then, she stopped abruptly, making Bofur collide with her back and stumble backwards.

"What're ya doin', lass?", he yelled, alarmed. "Keep goin'!".

Her eyes were wide with alarm as she watched another orc pack ahead, a few miles away and quickly approaching.

They were surrounded.

Soon, the whole Company had their weapons drawn and formed in a circle to watch the wargs coming nearer.

"There's more coming!", Arethien heard Kili's yell.

"We're surrounded!", exclaimed Fili.

With dread up her spine, Arethien chose not to draw her daggers and raised her hands. She didn't know if her powers would help them, but she _had _to try. She called a fireball and threw it to the nearest warg; it collided on its fur, but didn't make any real damage, only slowing it down a bit.

"Where's Gandalf?", someone shouted.

"He's abandoned us!", Dwalin roared, drawing his axe, furious with the wizard's betrayal.

_Abandoned?! It can't be!_

She looked around, and discovered that the wizard was indeed gone. With a loud shout, she invoked a fireball in her hand again and threw it to another warg; this time, the fire spread quickly through its fur and reached also the orc that was mounting it. Both were consumed by the furious fire with howls and snarls until they finally died.

"Hold your ground!", shouted Thorin.

"We won't last long, Thorin!", the silver-haired woman fired to another warg, but failed and she flicked her tongue in annoyance.

"This way, you fools!".

The sudden voice of Gandalf made them spun around to find him standing in a pile of rock, and realized he had been looking for a hiding place. Immediately, everyone ran and discovered a cave in the ground that was simulated by the rocks; one by one, they slid inside. Thorin, at the edge, looked around and spotted his youngest nephew a few steps away, firing the wargs.

"Kili!", he bellowed; Kili looked at him and began running.

A warg charged at the dwarf King, but he slashed its throat and it fell to the ground. When he turned his head, he noticed that Arethien was still out of the cave, throwing fireballs at the wargs chasing his nephew with a furious expression on her face. As son as Kili reached them, she turned around and jumped into the cave, followed by the young dwarf and his uncle.

Still tense, no one sheathed their weapons as the orc pack continued searching for them. But just then, they heard a horn blaring. Then sounds of hunting, wargs howling in pain and fighting. An orc fell into the cave's hole and rolled until it stopped by their feet. Thorin knelt and pulled out a familiar arrow that had pierced the creature's throat.

"Elves", he spat, and threw the arrow as if it had burnt him.

"I can't see where the pathway leads!", Dwalin called out from the inside of the cave that seemed to continue on. "Do we follow it or no?".

"Follow it, of course!", Bofur was the first one in heading through the tunnel the bald dwarf had found, eager to get away from the remaining orcs and the elves.

Arethien stood a little behind, putting a hand on the stone wall and breathing heavily, feeling deeply tired. She shook her head to clear it.

"Are you alright, lass?", she heard Balin's worried voice, and tried to smile at him reassuringly.

"Only a bit tired", the silver-haired woman answered, starting to walk through the tunnel behind Nori. She didn't notice Kili's concerned look as they walked through the tight path (a bit troublesome for poor Bombur), until they finally came out of the cave and found a beautiful landscape, a city built into a series of waterfalls and made of flowing arches and graceful lines. Arethien recognized it immediately and a broad smile crossed her features.

"The Valley of Imladris", said Gandalf in a solemn voice. "But in the Common Tongue it has another name".

"Rivendell", Bilbo and Arethien named it at the same time; the hobbit in awe, the half-witch with nostalgia.

_At last, I can finally rest a little and get rid of this stink._

**Sorry for being so brief! But at least I had advanced a little more in the story. I promise I will continue uploading whenever I can, I won't abandon this story yet.**

**I noticed no one reviewed last chapter, so I assume it wasn't very well received :'( Well, I hope this one is better. Please review, fav/follow it, PM me if you find any mistake and all the stuff you already know ^^**

**Well, ciao until next time! Love y'all, and Happy New Year again! ^^**


End file.
